Less is More

The adoption of soil and tissue analysis and integrated pest management program has increased the efficiency of the crop nutrition and protection programs on one of Australia’s largest cauliflower producers.

Frank and Cheryl Musolino, together with sons Paul, Steven and Phillip and their respective families, grow premium quality cauliflowers, broccoli, lettuce and potatoes in the Virginia and Buckland Park districts of the Northern Adelaide Plains.

Each block is intensively farmed according to a strict crop rotation program, with cover crops, including mustards, grown between each crop to reduce weed, disease and insect pressure.

Musolino Farms began to investigate ways to improve the efficiency of its crop nutrition and crop protection programs about five years ago.

“Input costs went through the roof during COVID and we started to look at our fertiliser program more closely,” Paul Musolino says.

Soil samples are now performed in each block to determine nutrient requirements during the pre-planting and early crop stages.

Likewise, tissue analysis is undertaken during the early growing season to determine nutrient requirements later in the season. 

“We are still applying fertiliser every 10 to 14 days, depending on the season, but we are applying less or different fertilisers whereas Dad would just pile on the same stuff every year,” Paul says.

“If the ground is high in a particular nutrient, we back off a bit on the application rate or possibly select a different fertiliser.

“For example, we have been able to reduce the amount of NPK we apply because we are making better use of the background potassium in the soil.”

Likewise, the adoption of an integrated pest management program five years ago has reduced crop protection inputs by about 30%.

“We were spending a fortune in sprays but we weren’t getting the best results,” Paul says.

“IPM is not just about protecting beneficial insects, it’s about using your chemicals better – selecting the right mode of action and applying at the right time, at the right rate and achieving the right coverage.

“We are steering away from broad spectrum chemistry to encourage the beneficials to survive and let nature take its course.

“We still spray every week but most crops might be getting five sprays instead of eight.

“Each spray costs about $80/ha, which adds up if you’re saving two or three sprays every crop.”

Platinum Ag Senior Agronomist, Paul Pezzaniti, has provided crop nutrition and protection services to Musolino Farms for more than 15 years.

He estimates that less than 10% of vegetable growers in the Adelaide Plains region use soil samples or tissue analysis to determine the nutrient status of their soils and plants.

“A soil test costs about $140 which is nothing when you are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on fertiliser,” he says.

Musolino Farms uses a range of Yara fertilisers in their crop nutrition program, including the broadcast fertilisers, YaraMila COMPLEX and YaraLiva TROPICOTE.

YaraMila COMPLEX is a compound NPK fertiliser that delivers a uniform ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and secondary nutrients in every prill for consistent delivery and uptake.

Consistent prill size and strength ensure easy handling and uniform spreading.

Nitrogen is presented in nitrate and ammonium forms for immediate and sustained delivery.

The phosphorus content in YaraMila COMPLEX offers a unique blend of polyphosphates and orthophosphates presented in water-soluble and citrate-soluble forms for optimal availability.

YaraLiva TROPICOTE is a premium calcium nitrate fertiliser that delivers a fast-acting source of plant-available nitrogen and strength-building calcium.

Specifically designed for spreading, its free-flowing, dense granules have a special coating that reduces moisture absorption during storage and handling, yet is highly soluble following rainfall or irrigation.

YaraMila COMPLEX and YaraLiva TROPICOTE are both chloride-free, making them ideal for use with the brackish bore water typical of the Adelaide Plains.

The fertigation program includes YaraTera KRISTA K PLUS and YaraTera CALCINIT, two premium, hydroponic-grade water-soluble fertilisers.

YaraTera KRISTA K PLUS is a NPK fertiliser, while YaraTera CALCINIT is a calcium nitrate fertiliser that delivers a fast-acting source of plant-available nitrogen and strength-building calcium.

“We get good results with Yara,” Paul says.

“We know they work and they are easy to use.

“Other fertilisers can get compacted or clumpy.”

Yara fertilisers are produced using some of the world’s most energy-efficient processes and incorporate high quality ingredients of known origin.

Each formulation comes with an independently-certified carbon footprint.